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Stayed for the weekend found it very unclean bird muck on window ledge for bedroom if look out of window just a junk area plate and pans mucky just very untidy and not cleaned complained to hoseasons nothing done yet the amount of cob webs was just a disgrace they said the clean them but come back quick to have that many come back that quick there must be 10,000 spiders living there so all in all very bad place for the weekend

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An ideal location for a break.

Riverside Lodges are located in Ripon, North Yorkshire. I came across this place while browsing through the Hoseasons brochure looking for somewhere to go for a short break for my partner's birthday.As I have stayed at various places featured in the Hoseasons brochure before, I felt confident booking a holiday from their brochure, as all my experiences have been of fabulous accomodation in often very beautiful settings.I settled upon Riverside Lodges, and booked a four night break in November, costing just over £200.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~LOCATION & GETTING THERE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Riverside Lodges are set along the banks of the River Ure, just a couple of minutes drive or a ten minute walk away from the centre of Ripon.Finding the park was easy. From the A1 we took the Ripon turn off and the park was located just over a bridge, as you drive down the bank which takes you towards Ripon centre.

~~~~~~~~~CHECKING IN~~~~~~~~~

We had been told that check-in time was 4pm. We arrived around 3.30pm. Driving into the park, I was surprised at how small it was. I counted seven large lodges as we drove in. There was a small Reception building, but there was nobody about. We asked a man who was going into one of the lodges if he knew where we could find the manager. He pointed out a lodge that appeared to be having some work done to it ,and explained that 'Rod' would probably be there as he is refurbishing a lodge. Just as he was telling us this, a man came out of the lodge and introduced himself as Rod, explaining he owns the park and is currently refurbishing all the lodges. Rod was very friendly and welcoming. He took us to our lodge, which was right in front of us, while explaining that he is a builder and owns the park, running it with his partner.

He informed us we could use the laundry on-site if we wished, and pointed out there was an information folder inside the lodge which he had put together, giving guidelines for staying in the lodge and also his personal opinion on a lot of the pubs and restaurants in the area, which came in very handy during our stay.There was also a guest book were you could leave comments on your stay and advise other holidaymakers of places to visit etc. I have to say there were some great comments and it became apparent reading through it that people return to Riverside Lodges again and again.

~~~~~~~~THE LODGE~~~~~~~~

As I mentioned, there are only a few lodges in the park and they all seem large and spacious. They vary from one bedroom to three bedroom lodges. Also four of the lodges enjoy a river view setting and these all seem to have two bedrooms.

I had booked a lodge with a river view as I thought it would be lovely to look out on to the River Ure, even though it was November!I was right to choose this as the setting was perfect. Rod led us along the side of the lodge, explaining access was from the rear. We went through a wooden gate which led onto a large decked verandah overlooking the river. The verandah was enclosed by a 6ft wooden fence at the sides and a low fence at the front to provide you with a stunning river view.

Also located on the decking was a large hot tub, patio table chairs and gas barbecue. It was absolutely perfect. A stunning view and plenty of privacy.

French doors provided access to the lodge. Rod led us in and all I could say was 'Wow!' It was fantastic!Rod explained he had refurbished the lodge himself this year and was currently working on the one next door. I forgot to ask how many he has left to do, but the other river view lodges all seemed to be completed.

The living/dining area of the lodge was all open plan. The furnishings all modern and contemporary, and the place was spotless!Wood flooring, a deep pile rug , brown leather sofa's, and a dark wood matching coffee table and display unit were the main furnishings in the living area. A large flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall. Just the right amount of soft furnishings were added such as cushions, a large ornamental plate filled with pot pourri on the coffee table, a lamp and a vase of twig lights gave it a cosy feel.

The dining table again was dark wood with brown leather chairs, behind which was a fully fitted contempary kitchen with a dishwasher, fridge, oven, hob and microwave all built into the units. A couple of tea towels, dish washer tablets and washing up liquid were provided.

Two spacious bedrooms led off from the living area. One double and one twin, both with en-suite bathrooms with walk-in showers. The bedrooms and bathroom were furnished to the same high standards. Beige carpets, leather sleigh beds with large New York prints from Ikea hanging above the beds. Continuing the brown theme the wardrobes and bedside tables and lamps were dark brown. The walls were ivory to contrast the dark brown curtains and brown and terracotta quilt covers .You could tell that a lot of thought had gone into the furnishings as everything was co-ordinated perfectly throughout. A terracotta vase of twigs to match the bedcovers for example.

One of the things I liked the most about the lodge was the space. A large walk in cupboard in which to hang coats and store your cases etc and also the amount of space there was in the bedrooms was fantastic. You could be on holiday here with two children and not feel as if you were cramped and on top of each other.

Rod spent some time with us explaining about the hot tub and also advised us of places to go in Ripon to eat etc. He told us there was a comedy night the next night which he would be attending, and where to get tickets. He also advised us of a lovely butcher that sold the best bacon he had ever tasted.

Looking around, we noticed that there was no DVD player and as this had been advertised in the brochure and we had taken a couple of DVD's with us, we asked Rod about it. He apologised saying he would be replacing the flat screen TV with one that has a built in DVD player, but it was not a problem as he would get us a DVD player right away, which he did. So that was fine. He told us to tell him right away if we had any problems and also informed us that he provides free Wi-Fi , which I thought was good but I hadn't taken my laptop.

The other thing I particularly enjoyed was the hot tub. Sitting there under the stars with a glass of wine was just heaven!

Halfway through the week the weather forecast predicted a lot of rainfall for Cumbria, and although we hardly had any rain in Ripon, we did notice the river rise quite rapidly and it burst its banks over on the other side. Rod came to see us and told us he was monitoring it, and advised we may want to move our car off the site and higher up where there were houses a five minute walk from the site. He said he thought it would be ok but as the River Ure is fed by rivers from Cumbria, this is why it had rose and he was just taking precautions. He also advised us not to try and leave the lodge should the river rise up over the decking as we would be rescued. I was a little concerned, thinking our peaceful and relaxing break may become quite an ordeal. I was taking photo's of the river at regular intervals, using a branch on a tree as a marker to compare how much it was rising.

That evening we went in the hot tub and kept a cautionary eye on the river which thankfully did not rise any further and the next morning had returned to it's normal levels. The rest of our break passed peacefully.

~~~~~~OVERALL~~~~~~

We thoroughly enjoyed our break at Riverside Lodges. It was well worth the money we paid. The lodge and the hot tub were fantastic! The great thing about the location is that it is quiet and peaceful, set along the river bank, but you are only a couple of minutes drive from the centre of Ripon, where there is the bustling market square and cobbled streets as well as the beautiful cathedral.Fountains Abbey and Ripon Racecourse are within easy reach as is Lightwater Valley, so Riverside Lodges is perfect for both families and couples, as it can be as peaceful or as active a holiday as you want it to be. We just wanted to chill out and relax mostly, but did visit Ripon for a little sight-seeing and enjoyed a couple of meals out.

The owner Rod, was fantastic throughout the holiday and even came back to offer us free tickets for the comedy night he had mentioned when we arrived. Nothing was too much trouble and he takes the time to ensure his guests are happy.

We thoroughly enjoyed our break at Riverside Lodges and will definitely be returning, so I cannot give it a better recommendation than that!

To book visit Hoseasons.co.uk. Photographs of the lodges are also provided on the website. If you do book a holiday online with Hoseasons don't forget to check cashback sites which offer you cashback for booking. I received £12 cashback from CashbackCascade.co.uk